Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], Apr 18 (NT): Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Wednesday criticized Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shobha Karandlaj for object the Congress party from honoring the 12th-century Lingayat philosopher Basaveshwara.

Addressing to media, the state home minister stated that Karandlaje is nobody to make such comments and Basaveshwara is not her 'property'.

"Who is she? Who is she to tell us? Basaveshwara (12th-century Lingayat philosopher) is not the property of Shobha Karandlaje," Reddy asserted.

According to reports, the Karandlaje on Tuesday said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should not be permitted to garland the statue of Basaveshwara on the occasion of his anniversary which is being observed across Karnataka on April 18.

Karandlaje had noted that Siddaramaiah has no moral right to observe the birth anniversary of Basaveshwara.

For now, BJP president Amit Shah paid tribute to Basaveshwara and by garlanding on his status here.

Further in countering on Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde's allegation that the truck which hit his escort vehicle in Haveri on Tuesday night was truly targeting him, the State Home Minister stated that he will ask the police to investigate the incident.

As politics peaks over the Lingayat minority tag subject in the poll-bound Karnataka, Saffron Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Wednesday honored Basaveshwara on Basava Jayanti. He was the founding saint of the Lingayat religion. Earlier this month, high-flying seers of the Lingayat community had issued an ‘ultimatum’ to the BJP-led government to grant their demands and had noted that the Center government must take a 'positive decision' by April 18.